Capital Region News

Sen. Schumer and CDTA announce proposed bus line expansion

CDTA announces plans to significantly expand its bus rapid transit - or BusPlus - service in the Capital Region.

CEO Carm Basile says they're looking at two new lines. Plans are to seek as much as $30 to $40 million in federal funds. Citing past bipartisan agreement on transportation projects, Sen. Chuck Schumer says he's pretty sure the money can be secured.

BusPlus is a limited-stop service that features not only a quicker ride but also enhanced customer perks, such as larger stations and signal priority, which means the lights should almost always be green for the buses.

The two new lines would include one east-west along Washington and Western Ave. from downtown Albany out to Crossgates Mall, and the other north-south along the river from downtown out to the Waterford area along Routes 4 and 32. Basile says it may be some time before these routes are fully developed.

Here's a map of the proposed routes along with the current route along Route 5: